


The Easter Demon

by LadyOxymoron



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: #SaveShadowhunters, Case Fic, Crack Treated Seriously, Featuring Freeform, Fluff, Halloween, Halloween on Easter, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 12:55:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18469402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOxymoron/pseuds/LadyOxymoron
Summary: A new demon is wreaking havoc in town, forcing Alec, Magnus, and the team to go on an Easter hunt.





	The Easter Demon

"Nothing useful." Alec closed the book with a heavy sigh, eyeing the dwindling pile of volumes on the coffee table.

Magnus hummed noncommittally, turning another page of his own book. "Try the one with the red cover, darling. If memory serves, it lists an extensive number of demons."

Alec found the red book and groaned at sheer volume of it. "I've got it. After this one, we'll call it a night."

Magnus hummed again but he didn’t reply, looking so absorbed in his read Alec thought it was a miracle he'd heard him at all.

During the last week, they had been spending their evenings holed up and going through old books. It was a compromise that allowed Alec to get back home and spend some time with Magnus. The fact that none of the Shadowhunters on duty in the Institute library had found anything about the new demon in town didn’t mean there wasn’t any to be found. And Magnus' private collection could just prove to be useful.

This new demon had gotten the Institute on high alert and the Clave breathing down Alec's neck, urging him to wrap this case up _yesterday_.

Alec couldn’t really blame them. This demon was dangerous enough to cause a breach of the statute of secrecy.

There had been several attacks on mundanes. All of them were left wandering the streets as a little more than vegetables, none of them remembering a single thing about the attack or the attacker or not being able to say anything. It was almost like their personality had been  _cancelled_. All of them had in common one thing: traces of ichor on their person and a terrified look on their faces. Their vacant eyes haunted Alec’s sleep.

So much for a quiet Easter.

“ _Fuck_.” The ring of his phone made Alec almost jump out of his own skin. He picked it up from the coffee table and frowned. “It’s Jace,” he said but Magnus just waved his hand in dismissal. Alec sighed and pressed the answer button.

He didn’t have the time to say anything before Jace assaulted him with a barrel of words. Alec was able to make out _attack_ , _two victims_ , _witness._

“Slow down,” he said, putting the book face down on the couch. “Where did the attack happen?”

Alec saw Magnus straighten up at the question, attention on him now. He put the call on speaker at the same time as Jace took a deep breath and said, “ _East village. There are two victims, both of them mundanes_.”

Alec sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the headache he could feel coming. “Did you say something about a witness?”

“ _Yeah. Uber driver. He was supposed to pick up the mundanes._ ” There was a small pause. “ _The guy saw the attack happen. I don’t know if we can get much out of him, Alec. When they brought him in, he was almost out of his mind._ ”

“Where is he?” Alec barked out, already slipping into his Head of the Institute persona. “”And why wasn’t I called on site?”

“ _Easy, bro_ ,” Jace said. “ _Hawthorn and Blackwell got the call. They secured the mundanes and brought him back here at the Institute. I called you as soon as they briefed me.”_

Alec took a deep breath and nodded. Then he realized Jace couldn’t see him. “Alright. I’m on my way. Bring the witness to my office. We’ll be there in five.”

He closed the call and turned to Magnus, who was already wearing his own jacket and summoning a portal. “This could be the break we needed.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, darling,” Magnus said, but Alec could see excitement on his face. He swept his hand toward the portal in a graceful gesture. “After you.”

Alec nodded and stepped through the portal, Magnus one step behind.

They landed in the hall leading to the ops center. Alec could hear the buzz of activity in there. He made a mental note to himself to go talk to Hawthorn and Blackwell to find out more about the scene and to remind them about proper protocol on high priority missions. But that could wait.

He turned the other way and started to make his way toward his office, Magnus easing into step beside him.

Jace was waiting for them, leaning against the wall beside the door of Alec’s office. He straightened up and walked toward them, meeting them halfway. He nodded to both of them in greeting. “The witness is in your office. There’s Izzy with him.”

Alec nodded back. “Anything we need to know before we go in?”

“Name is Alan Lowell,” Jace replied as they walked toward the door.  “He was about to turn the app off when he got the call. It was close enough so he figured he’d earn a few more bucks before calling it a night. I bet he’s regretting it now.”

Alec rolled his eyes, fighting a smile at Magnus’ quiet snort. “Anything else?”

“He didn’t say much else. His eyes, man,” Jace said, turning to look at Alec, face serious now. “He looks terrified. Izzy was going to give him something strong to calm him down but he’s gonna need a memory charm.”

“That will be easily done,” Magnus interjected smoothly, stopping right in front of  the door. “After we’ll interrogate him. Shall we?”

Alec nodded but held Jace’s gaze. “Would you mind going to take Blackwell and Hawthorn’s statement?”

“On it.” Jace nodded back and pointed to the office. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Alec said, knowing they were going to need it. He walked past Magnus and pushed the door open, stepping inside the office and waiting for Magnus before closing it behind their backs.

Lowell was sitting on an armchair, holding a glass between both of his hands. Izzy was on the couch in front of him, sipping from a glass of her own. She raised her glass in a silent toast, acknowledging their entrance but the witness looked oblivious to them.

Alec cleared his throat and noticed how Lowell jumped at the sound, almost spilling his drink. “Mr. Lowell,” he greeted, trying to keep his voice low and even. “I need to ask you a few questions.”

He walked to the couch and took his seat beside Izzy, raising an eyebrow at her as soon as he noticed his best bottle of whisky on the small table.

She shrugged and glanced toward Lowell as if to say he looked like he needed it. Alec couldn’t really deny that. Lowell was white as a sheet and if Alec looked closely, he could see his frame shaking with subtle tremors.

He felt, more than saw, Magnus sit on the armchair on his right and he heard the telltale crackle of his magic. He wasn’t really surprised when Lowell sat a little straighter.

Magnus handed him a glass and Alec took it with a nod, keeping it in his hand to give out a friendly vibe but knowing he needed to keep a level head for the interrogation.

He leaned over, elbows over his knees. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lowell but I need to ask you a few questions,” he repeated.

Lowell’s eyes darted around himself, taking in the room and then settling on Alec. “Who are you?” He asked, voice raspy and low. “Where am I? This doesn’t look like a police station.”

Alec decided to play along. If this mundane thought he was in a police station, albeit a strange one, he could be more inclined to cooperate. Alec knew he’d been brought in under severe shock so he hoped he didn’t remember much of his surroundings. “You are not being held as a person of interest, Mr. Lowell. You are a witness and, under the circumstances, my colleagues thought to bring you to my private office.” He extended his hand. “Detective Lightwood.”

“Alan Lowell.” Thankfully, Lowell was still too shaken to notice Izzy’s eyebrow shooting up or Magnus’ huff of breath. He seemed to take Alec’s statement at face value and started to extend his hand toward Alec’s, then thought better and wiped it on the leg of his pants before shaking Alec’s in a weak grip. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Alec replied, leaning back against the backrest of the couch. “We already know the victims booked a ride home and you drove to the pick up point. I want to know everything you saw. No matter how small or absurd it may seem, Mr. Lowell.”

“Are they..?” Lowell swallowed, once. “Are they dead?”

“No,” Alec lied, knowing they may as well be. “But they’ll require medical attention.”

Lowell nodded. He looked marginally relieved but his eyes were still haunted. “I just- I couldn’t do anything to stop that _thing_.”

“Thing?” Alec pressed, adrenaline running through his veins.

“Man.” Lowell took a deep breath and shook his head as if to clear it. “It-- it didn’t look human but it was dark and there was _so much despair_ and, and I must have imagined things.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Alec said, trying to keep his voice even. “I need you to describe what you saw. No matter how strange or visionary, I need every little detail. Can you do that?”

“I- yes.” The word was exhaled and Alec waited, knowing his silence would make Lowell keep going. “It was dark but I could make out this _thing_ leaning over one of the girls. Her friend was just standing there, doing nothing.” his voice broke on the last word. “She looked like a puppet with cut strings.”

Alec was more than familiar with the state the victim were left after the attacks. “What about the attacker?” He asked, trying to bring the interrogation back on track.

“It- he wore a dark cloak. The strange thing was, it looked like it was made of smoke, fading around the edges.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “Oh, man, you must think I’m crazy.”

“Not at all,” Alec said, glancing toward Izzy who was already taking notes. “What else, Mr. Lowell? Did you notice something out of place, other than the cloak?”

“The hands and, _oh God_ , the eyes.” He buried his face in his hands and shuddered visibly. “The hands were on the girl’s shoulders and they looked so big and pale and twisted. Jesus.”

“What about the eyes?” Alec pressed.

“It turned to look at me,” he said, starting to lower his hands and exposing his own haunted eyes. “When I yelled, you know. I don’t think I’ll ever forget those eyes.” Another shudder wrecked his frame. “They were staring at me like I was gonna be next.”

“Anything unusual about them?” He asked. When Lowell seemed to hesitate,he leaned forward. “We won’t judge you, Mr. Lowell, but we need to know.”

“They were..” he took a deep breath as if to brace himself, then downed the contents of his glass in one go. “They were red. There was no face. Just those red eyes staring straight at me and oh, man.”

Alec nodded and refilled Lowell’s glass. Pondering what questions he could or should ask next.

“If I may,” Magnus interjected, smiling at Alec’s nod to go ahead. “You mentioned feeling something. Despair, if I recall correctly.”

A shudder wrecked Lowell’s frame at Magnus’ question. He brought the glass to his lips and took a long sip. “That thing put the fear of God into me.”

“Could you elaborate?” Magnus asked, sipping from his own glass.

“It’s hard to explain. I felt like, it felt like all the air was being sucked from my lungs.” Lowell licked his lips, fingers curled around the glass, knuckles as white as his face. “It was like, you know, like I couldn’t breathe and there was all this grief, this despair.” He took a pause, frowning as if to look for the right words, brow smoothing as he apparently found them. “I felt like I couldn’t be happy ever again. That’s it.”

Alec glanced at Magnus and they both shared a _what the hell?_ Look. Magnus shook his head minutely and focused back on Lowell, who was oblivious of their exchange.

“I know it must be terribly hard for you, Mr. Lowell,” Magnus said. “But I must ask you if you recall more about what you felt. At this point, anything could-”

“Voices,” Lowell blurted out in a harsh whisper. “ I heard voices, okay? Sounds, whispers.”

Magnus sat up straighter. “Can you remember what they said?”

“No, I-” Lowell shook his head, eyes falling shut. “Look, it was like a trip gone wrong. All those distorted sounds, the whispers, the terror.”

“I see.” Magnus leaned back in his chair, a pensive expression on his face. “That would be all from me. Thank you for your help, Mr. Lowell.” He nodded at Alec, sweeping his hand toward the witness and indicating Alec could keep going.

Lowell just nodded and turned to Alec, almost resigned to another round of questions.

Alec was aware it could be the last chance to get what they needed from the mundane but he wasn’t sure there was much more to ask. He looked at Izzy quizzically, sighing when she shook her head and shrugged. “Actually.” He turned to Lowell. “I think we’re done. One last question,” he said, making sure to make eye contact with the terrified man. “Would you like to forget?”

Lowell laughed but there was no mirth in it. It was a harsh, disbelieving sound. “Are you fucking kidding me, man?”

“On the contrary,” Alec replied. “I’m being very serious.”

Lowell looked at him, disbelief clear in his ragged face. “But that’s not possible.”

“I know it may seem impossible, Mr. Lowell.” Alec straightened up and shifted on the edge of his seat, ready to stand and give Magnus space to work. “But humor me. If it were possible, would you want to?”

“Hypothetically speaking?” Lowell frowned but his head was already dipping in a slow nod. “Yeah, man. Who wouldn’t want to?”

That was everything Alec needed to hear. “Thank you for your cooperation, mr. Lowell.” He stood and moved out of the way, signaling Magnus he could work his magic. “He’s all yours.” He settled to the side, then he hesitated and gestured toward the door. “Would you mind if I go brief my Shadowhunters while you do your thing?”

Magnus dismissed him with a wave of his hand, focus already on the task. “Go ahead, Alexander. Isabelle and I will take care of it.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back as soon as I’ll be done.” Alec glanced at his sister and at her nod, he turned around and left the office.

 

***

 

Alec walked inside the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his hips, another in his hand as he toweled his hair dry. He walked to the wardrobe and pulled its doors open, a laugh thumbling out of him at the sight of the policeman uniform hanging before his other clothes. “Seriously, Magnus?”

“My dear Alexander,” Magnus replied from the bed, laughter in his voice. “You asked for it.”

“I said _detective_ , Magnus.” Alec took a clean pair of sweatpants out of the closet and threw them toward Magnus who avoided them with a chuckle. “Not _officer_.”

“Allow me some leeway, darling. You’d look dashing in that uniform.” Magnus patted the spot beside him on the bed. “Besides, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but it comes with handcuffs, _officer Lightwood_.”

The words sent a frisson of heat down his spine. “Does it?” he asked, groaning as his body hit the mattress.

Magnus hummed in affirmation and shifted close. “Oh, it does, and I’ll be happy to give them a swirl when we’ll be well rested and up for it.”

Alec’s muscles hurt anew at the reminder.

He had had to stand in a long meeting after an already long day and after that he’d had to deal with Hawthorn and Blackwell to make sure they’d follow protocol the next time they’d go on mission. Until then they’d been assigned to ichor duty for two weeks.

He’d gone back to his office and they had to make sure the witness was escorted home safely. While they were out, they’d decided to patrol the surroundings of the area where the attack had happened, just in case the demon had stuck close to the scene. It was well past two am when they’d got back to the loft.

“Is that a promise?” he asked, regret creeping in his voice as he realized that not even the appealing imagery of having Magnus handcuffed and at his mercy was going to be enough to fuel his bone-tired body. He shifted closer to Magnus and sighed.

“You can count on it,” Magnus agreed, his own voice starting to drop low. “Sleep now, darling.”

Alec let the regular cadence of Magnus’ breath lull him to sleep.

 

***

 

“Be careful, Alexander.” Magnus voice was all but a whisper behind him but Alec was on high alert and he heard it clearly.

He turned to Magnus and nodded, trying to smother the increasing sense of dread he was feeling with every step toward the warehouse.

They’d gotten a tip from Luke. One of his werewolves, Bat, had noticed some movement in what was supposed to be an abandoned warehouse in their territory.

Bat had intended to inspect the building but once he’d gotten close to it, he’d felt such a sense of horror that he had almost wolfed out right there on the street. He’d managed to resist the transformation and he’d run back to the pack, bringing the story to Luke, who had called Magnus for a consult.

The story bore such a similarity to Lowell’s testimony that Magnus had alerted Alec at once and they had organized the mission.

There were Shadowhunters surrounding the building from all sides but they had orders to stay back until Alec gave them the signal that they were in need of assistance. Until then, he and Magnus would check the building out and Magnus would sweep it with his magic to make sure it was safe to go in.

Alec had witnessed first-hand the state in which the mundanes had been found. He had no idea how Shadowhunters or Downworlders would react to the demon’s powers but he wasn’t willing to take the chance.

He stopped right before turning the last corner and turned toward Magnus. “Ready?” He whispered.

Magnus nodded. “Hopefully it won’t take long. I’ll just need a look at the demon. It’ll be much easier to identify it if we have an imagery.”

He nodded back. “Right. Remember-”

“Should things not go as planned, we’ll retreat,” Magnus interrupted. “No heroics. Although, you seem to forget I have magic at my disposal.”

“Yeah and we don’t know how we’re gonna be affected by that thing,” Alec said in a hurried whisper. “I’m not gonna take any risk. At the first sign of danger, you’re out of there.”

Magnus sent him a pointed look. “ _We_ will be out of there.”

Alec sighed but nodded. “Let’s go.”

Magnus put a hand on his chest to stop him and walked past him. “Magic users first,” he said, before turning the corner, body coiled tight like a spring.

Alec followed close, holding his bow in a steady grip, an arrow already nocked and ready to fly. He braced himself for the onslaught of dread that everyone had been describing but none came. He’d been feeling increasingly afraid during the trek there but now that they were facing the building, Alec felt nothing.

It looked like an ordinary warehouse. Time and abandon had left their toll on the structure but there was nothing terrifying about it. He turned to Magnus with a frown.

Magnus frowned back. “Perhaps we are too late.”

Just as Alec was about to answer, he started to feel it. A tingling on the back of his neck that had his hair stand on end. The unpleasant sensation kept increasing as what Alec was sure was the demon seemed to get closer. From behind.

He realized they must have somehow tipped it off and it had been following them all along.

He gasped and almost doubled over at the onslaught of pure terror coursing through every fiber of his body. He didn’t think he’d ever felt such an intense feeling of anguish and helplessness in his life. Not even when he had made peace with the fact he was never going to be happy, all those years ago.

It felt like all the good memories were being slowly sucked out of him, replaced with fear and desperation until he was sure he couldn't possibly be happy ever again.

It took all of his years of training to keep himself upright and turn to face the demon, teeth gritted with the effort to focus.

It was a rather disappointing sight. The demon wasn’t that big or impressive. Once you got past the red eyes and the dark, misty cloak, he looked less threatening than most of the demons Alec had faced on missions. But then, it didn’t really need to look scary when it had that kind of power, did it?

Alec took a step back, glancing toward Magnus to make sure he was okay before bringing his eyes back on the demon.

The glimpse of Magnus he’d managed to get was enough to tell him they were screwed. He’d seen Magnus’ eyes glowing yellow, magic crackling around him, his hands balled into fists- to contain it if Alec had to take a guess. He looked just as affected as Alec was, if not more.

The demon was advancing and with every step it took toward them, the sense of dread deepened. He tried to open his mouth to tell Magnus they needed to go, _now_ , but he couldn’t seem to make his throat work.

When the creature was close enough that Alec could see the decaying bones under its hood, he heard them. _The voices_.

They were distorted and seemed to come from far away but Alec could hear everything with clarity. Every single word had the ability to get into his head and play on his deepest fears, of laying each of his own insecurities bare.

_You’re not enough. You will never be enough. The disappointing son. A pathetic excuse for a Shadowhunter. You will never-_

“Magnus,” he managed to get out through gritted teeth, fighting against it, knowing that if he’d give in, he’d be lost to that creature. They both would be.

A sharp intake of breath was all he heard coming from behind. He hoped Magnus would find the strength to do something because he could feel his resolve weaken with every step the demon took toward him.

The demon reached out, pale, skeletal fingers close to his face and Alec sank to his knees, the voices in his head too loud to be silenced, his body frozen with unnatural fear.

As his knees hit the hard concrete, he heard a loud crack, flashes of blue surrounding him like sparks of electricity. He felt a grip on his shoulder and a hard tug as Magnus yanked him back.

He heard the thing growl as he started to fall into the familiar whirlwind of a portal.

He opened his eyes just in time to recognize the familiar surroundings of the loft before he had to squeeze them close as a wave of nausea it him. He tried to ride it out, afraid he was going to empty the contents of his stomach over Magnus' ridiculously expensive rug.

He could hear Magnus' ragged breaths right beside himself and he reached out blindly, the panic he felt slowly unraveling as Magnus grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.

They'd made it.

As soon as he thought started to form, he stilled, eyes snapping wide open. "Jace," he rasped.

He heard the snap of Magnus' fingers and he turned toward him just in time to see the fire message disappear. He nodded at Magnus in gratitude, not trusting his vocal cords just yet. His panic started to recede, marginally.

Magnus nodded back, still panting, the glamour back in place now that they were away from that creature.

They didn't make a move to get off the floor and if Alec had to be honest with himself, he didn't think he could. Not quite yet.

"What the hell was _that?_ " He asked when he managed to find his voice, the words grating against his dry throat.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Magnus answered, voice as rough and low as his own. He snapped his fingers and summoned two glasses of water, handing one to Alec, who accepted it gratefully.

He downed it in one go, the fresh water soothing his parched throat. "Thanks."

"I don't think water is going to do it. Not quite." Magnus stood and extended his hand to Alec. “Something stronger, perhaps?”

Alec took Magnus’ hand and let him help stand on unsteady legs. He had the feeling he was going to need something strong indeed. “Please.”

They walked to the couch and Alec sank down on the soft cushions, careful to check whether they’d left books unattended. He watched as Magnus walked to the bar cart and took out glasses and a bottle before making his way back and sinking on the spot next to Alec, managing to look graceful even as he slumped against the backrest.

As Magnus busied himself with pouring two large servings of whisky, Alec took his phone out and dialed Jace’s number, needing  to check on him and know whether they’d made out of there in time.

Jace answered after the third ring. “ _Hey, Alec._ ”

Alec leaned back in his seat, the residual worry starting to bleed away from his shoulders as soon as he heard his brother’s voice. “Where are you?”

“ _I’m at the Institute. Hold on_.” There was a pause and Jace’s voice came muffled as he spoke to someone else. “ _We retreated as soon as I got Magnus’ fire message. I admit I didn’t really understand but everyone was uneasy so it didn’t take much to get them to leave. What happened?_ ”

“We saw the demon. Up close.” Alec grabbed the glass Magnus was handing him and took a long sip. “Or rather, it surprised us before we could locate it. I’m good,” he hastily added, not wanting to stay on the phone longer than he had to. “We both are but it was a close call. That demon has some game, Jace.”

There was some rustle of paper before Jace started to talk again. “ _What now? We can’t leave it out in the open. I’m going to put together a team and-”_

“No,” Alec barked, some whisky slushing out of his glass as he sat up straighter. “Listen to me, Jace. You have no idea of the kind of power that thing has. Now that we have a visual, we research and regroup.”

He heard the crackle of Magnus’ magic and turned around just in time to see him snap into existence what looked like a picture. Magnus held it out to Alec and Alec could see that it was, in fact, a picture. Alec nodded in thanks, swallowing as he recognized the monster’s features.

“ _But what if it attacks other mundanes, Alec?”_

“That’s a risk we have to take.” As much as Alec was loathe to let the demon roam free, he knew they couldn’t afford to engage in battle with it. Not until they’d know more about its weaknesses. “I won’t lose any of my Shadowhunters because of a reckless mission. Stay put, Jace. That’s an order.”

There was a long pause and as Alec started to gear himself for another round, Jace sighed. “ _You’re the Head of the Institute._ _What now?”_

“As I said, now we research and try to find a way to banish this thing once and for all.” They’d sooner kill it if Alec had anything to say about it. “Magnus and I are already on it. I’m gonna text you a picture of the demon and you’re gonna call Izzy and gather as many Shadowhunters as you can take off patrol duties. Researching this demon takes priority. Got it?”

“ _Got it_ ,” Jace agreed.

“Good. Let me know if you find anything. And Jace,” Alec paused into a poignant silence. “I meant it. _Stay put_.”

“ _You’ve got my word, Alec. I’ll keep in touch,”_ Jace replied before ending the call.

Alec sighed and snapped a picture of the image Magnus had conjured, forwarding it to Jace, before turning to Magnus and pointing warily at the mess of books littering the coffee table and the floor at their feet. “Should we...?”

“In a minute.” Magnus took a sip of his drink and placed the glass in one of the few uncluttered spaces on the coffee table in front of them. He reached out and took Alec’s hand in both of his own. “How are you feeling, Alexander?”

“I’m good.” Alec swallowed and reached out with his free hand, resting it on Magnus’ forearm. “How are _you_?” he countered, knowing he hadn’t been the only one affected. “That thing was playing tricks on both of us.”

Magnus nodded, a serious pinch around his mouth. “I will be fine, Alexander. You, on the other hand, were closer. If I had wasted one more second…” Magnus trailed off, eyes fluttering briefly shut at the thought.

“But you didn’t. You got us out, Magnus.” Alec’s free hand trailed up to Magnus’ cheek, cupping it. “If it wasn’t for you, it would have gotten me.”

Magnus nodded jerkily, dipping forward to place his lips against Alec’s in a small, lingering kiss. When he pulled back, there was a new determination in his eyes. “Let’s get to work,” he said, voice hard as steel. “We have a demon to destroy.”

They settled into a comfortable silence, broken only by the rustle of the pages as they turned them or the occasional snap of Magnus’ fingers as he summoned more books from his personal library and banished the ones they’d already gone through.

Alec had just put down another book and was reaching out to take the next one when Magnus let out a small whooping sound, making him jump. “Magnus?”

“I think I’ve got it,” Magnus said, sweeping the coffee table clean with a wave of his hand and placing the book down. “Look at this.”

Alec moved closer, adrenaline bleeding new energy into his exhausted body. He followed Magnus’ finger to the page and couldn’t help the soft gasp escaping from his lips.

Right there on the yellowed page of the ancient-looking book there was a drawing of a demon. It was worn by age but there was no mistaking the dark cloak or the red eyes.

“This is it, Magnus,” Alec said, leaning over to read over Magnus’ shoulder. On the page, below the drawing, there were symbols Alec couldn’t read. “Can you read that?”

“I believe I can read most of it, yes.” He snapped his fingers and held his hand out to catch the book he’d summoned from the low right corner of the bookcase. “But this will help.”  He dusted the book with the palm of his hand. “I can get a rough translation now but we are going to need further research.”

“Anything I can do?” Alec asked.

“Not now,” Magnus replied, fingers turning pages of the second book until he apparently found what he was looking for. “But once we’ll have a name, you can text it to Jace and Isabelle, help them narrow down their research.”

Alec nodded and leaned back on the couch, stretching his sore muscles. A glance at the clock told him it was twenty past three in the morning and he groaned, already knowing they were gonna have a few rough days ahead of them. Admitting everything went smoothly.

He watched in fascination as Magnus got absorbed in his translation, a small frown on his brow, long fingers curled around a fancy pen he’d summoned and taking notes on the small notepad on his lap as he turned pages over.

Alec let the rustle of the pages and the scratch of the pen against the notebook lull him into a slight slumber, the occasional hum coming from Magnus’ lips helping him to relax further.

He had no idea how much time had passed when the sudden noise of a book slamming shut startled him into wakefulness. “Uh?”

“Uh indeed, my dear,” Magnus said, lips stretched into a teasing grin. “I am astonished by such eloquence.”

Alec grabbed a pillow and threw it in Magnus’ general direction, a traitorous huff of laughter escaping his own lips. “What have you got?”

Magnus sobered up. “Just its name and some lore.” He must have noticed the disappointed frown starting to form on Alec’s face because he held one hand up. “It may not seem much but knowing the name tips the scale on our favor. For one, it will aid us in researching a way to defeat it.”

“And?” Alec asked, sensing there was more to it.

“And names hold power, Alexander,” Magnus said simply. “Knowing its name will allow us to summon it, should the need present itself.”

Alec shuddered, hoping they’d find a way to defeat the demon without having to face it a second time. “What is it, then? The name, I mean.”

Magnus turned a few pages on its notebook and pointed to a few symbols. “That is the combination of two latin words: _forma_ and _libera_. It roughly translates to Freeform.”

“ _Freeform?_ ” Alec asked with a small snort. “What kind of ridiculous name is that?”

“It’s a rough translation, Alec. We’ll be using the demonic translation to research the demon.”

Alec nodded. “What about the lore?”

“I was getting to it, darling.” Magnus settled against the backrest and glanced at the page. “Lore has it as a mostly unintelligent demon but what it lacks in cunning and brains, it makes up in cruelty and brawn. It feeds on people’s despair and its unique power to absorb all of their happiness, makes it hard to defeat.”

“Tell me about that,” Alec muttered. “What else?”

“Legends have that if it manages to get close enough to the victims, it has the ability to suck away their souls. Hence-”

“The state we found the mundanes in.” Alec interrupted, connecting the dots.

“Exactly.”

“How do we stop it, Magnus?”

“I don’t know.” Magnus put aside the notebook and sighed.  “This demon isn’t even supposed to be here. Not now.”

“What do you mean?” Alec asked, leaning over to rest his elbows over his knees.

“From what I could gather, this kind of demon is known to live in another dimension. The abc realm, a hell dimension in which his kind is trapped for 364 days every year.” Magnus paused and gestured toward the books. “ According to the book, they are granted passage to the mortal plane only for one night every year. October 31th.”

“Halloween.” Alec nodded. “It makes sense. But Magnus,” he said, frowning. “This thing is several months off. We’re in April.”

“I am aware, Alexander,” Magnus said, fingers thrumming against the armrest. “Hence, the anomaly. Not only it’s not hunting season, so to speak, but it’s also overstayed its welcome.”

“Yeah,” Alec agreed. “It’s been way more than a night. We’ve got to stop it, Magnus, before it takes any more souls.”

“And we will.” Magnus placed his hand on Alec’s forearm and squeezed. Then he glanced at the clock. “We will stop it, Alexander, but we’re done for the night. I am going to send a fire Message to your sister and let her know the progress we’ve made and then we’ll sleep on it and keep researching with fresh eyes.”

Alec considered protesting but ultimately, he knew Magnus was right. There was no sense in keeping at it when they barely could keep their eyes open. “Let me text Izzy the information you found and I’ll get ready for bed.”

Later Alec found himself laying on his back, thinking about this new demon with his ridiculous name. Dumb or not, it presented a real threat for the unaware mundanes out there. Hell, it had almost got Alec when he’d been prepared to face it.

He tried to squish the thoughts before they could give him a headache, trying to focus on the regular cadence of Magnus’ breath instead.

His last thought before falling into a restless sleep was, _fuck Freeform to hell._

 

***

 

“The _what_?”

Alec nodded along with Jace’s question, turning to Catarina for answers.

Magnus, Alec, and his siblings were in Alec’s office for a private debrief and Catarina had graciously accepted to come in to share the information she’d found in one of her books, after Magnus had called her for help.

 _We can use all the help we can get, darling_ , he’d said to Alec.

It turned out, Catarina owned several ancient volumes and she had been able to find information about the anomaly concerning the demon’s appearance.

“She said _the last hunt_ , Jace,” Izzy pointed out.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Jace asked, leaning against Alec’s chair.

“If you’ll let me go on, you’ll understand,” Catarina replied, not unkindly but in her no-nonsense voice. She cleared her throat and once she had their attention, she kept going. “It’s said that the Freeform demon’s life ends with a last hunt. Most of its kind accept their fate and go willingly on their last Halloween hunt. On some instances, a demon finds itself at the end of its life but it refuses to move on and fights the pull to our world, getting stuck on some sort of limbo between here and its dimension. It clings with claws and fangs to what little life it has left but in the end, the pull always wins. This one seems to have been rather tenacious. A Halloween hunt in April is unheard of.”

“Forgive me, Catarina,” Magnus interjected, when she paused. “But this particular demon has been here for almost a week and it’s still going strong.”

“So much for its last hunt,” Jace muttered under his breath.

“When a Freeform demon goes for too long without nourishment, its last hunt can turn into a massacre.” She handed to Alec the book she was holding. “It’s all here. They tend keep a low profile on Halloween, to avoid detection. Usually, one soul is enough to keep them fed for the other 364 days of the year and my guess is, they’d tend to stick to safe places. Hospices, hospitals, car crash sites.”

“Like vultures. That would explain why we’ve never heard of them,” Izzy said and Alec thought she had a point.

Catarina nodded. “I believe so. Anyway. It appears that this specific demon has been avoiding its Halloween hunt for months, living off the small whiffs of despair that managed to slip past the veil while it was stuck in limbo. I imagine it was akin to wishing for a banquet and receiving just crumbs. The same kind of frustration of wishing to watch your favorite show and being forced to watch _Hocus Pocus_ on a loop.”

Magnus chuckled at the similitude. “I would be very frustrated indeed, my dear Catarina.”

“Now, imagine to live in that constant state for several months.” She said, looking at them expectantly.

“You’d lose your mind,” Alec said.

“And that’s what I believe it happened,” she agreed. “I believe that after being forced on our side by sheer hunger, the demon found itself in a frenzy, unable to stop feeding on mundanes. We have no way to know how much it’ll take for its life force to run out or whether it’ll keep being fueled by stolen happiness. It must be stopped.”

“Yeah,” Alec said, frowning. “But how?”

“I’ll keep looking into it,” Catarina said, glancing toward her watch. “But my shift will start soon. I need to portal to the hospital. You keep researching and I’ll keep you updated on any progress.”

“Thank you, Catarina.” Alec nodded and stood, extending his hand to her. “Your help is appreciated.”

She shook his hand. “Don’t mention it. This demon must be stopped at all costs. We can’t afford to lose any more mundanes to it.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Magnus said, offering his arm to her.

After they left the room, Izzy excused herself, saying she needed to tend to her armory, leaving only Alec and Jace in the room.

Jace turned to him, right hand scratching the back of his neck. “What a mess.”

“That’s an understatement,” Alec replied, opening the book Catarina had left and starting to flip the pages. “This Freeform thing is gonna be a pain in the ass.”

“You got that right. Feeding on despair? Stealing happiness? Sucking souls?” Jace shook his head, a bewildered expression on his face. “Fuck Freeform, bro.”

Alec agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment.

 

***

 

"Any progress?" Alec asked, only to stop in his tracks and blink as he took in the scene in Magnus' apothecary.

Magnus was leaning on his desk, books discarded to the side, the fingers of his hands twirling as he controlled his magic.

That wouldn't have been an unusual sight if it wasn't for the shape his magic took as it left his fingers. Just as Alec opened his mouth to speak, a bead of light blue magic left his fingertips and morphed into a oddly rounded bird, who joined the dozens of other ones flying through the room. They were the same in size and shape but the intensity of their color was different. Some were so pale they were almost translucent, some were darker. The one that had just left Magnus' fingers was a rich shade of light blue.

"Marvelous," Magnus said, turning his wide smile to Alec.

"Magnus, what are all these birds doing here?" He asked, walking in the room and swatting at the birds circling around his head. One of the paler birds vanished like a soap bubble. "Did that thing just pop out of existence? Wait, did I kill it?"

"Don't you worry, Alexander. It was weak. One of the early attempts." Magnus waved his hand to clear a path for Alec and soon they were leaning side by side against the desk. "I've made some progress ever since." He pointed to one of the darkest birds to prove his point.

"Yeah," Alec said, watching in fascination as it barrelled against a blurred, pale bird, making it vanish with another pop. "Vicious little things, your birds."

"Aren't they?" Magnus beamed at him, apparently proud of his accomplishment. His smile widened as another pale bird met its untimely end. "What do you think?"

"Uhm, they are cute?" It came out as a question, reflecting his own puzzlement. He wondered if Magnus had stumbled upon some dangerous book during his research. He sure looked okay but Alec was starting to think something may have addled his mind. "But what's their point?"

Magnus looked at Alec like _he_ was the one who had lost his mind. "What's their point?" He frowned then slapped his hand over his thigh as realization dawned on his face. "Of course, of course. You don't know."

"Know what?" Alec asked, eyeing warily the surviving birds, which had gathered around them. Alec was sure a few of them were giving him the side-eye.

"I intended to text you but it must have slipped my mind. Forgive me, my dear, but I was rather caught up in the excitement." He snapped his fingers and the birds vanished, leaving the room empty. "I have found out a way to send our dearest demon to its rightful death."

"Wait, what? Magnus, that's amazing," Alec said, sagging against the desk in relief. "But how do the birds come into play?"

"They channel feelings, Alexander. Good feelings, happy memories, name it." He paused and summoned a glass of water. He looked as poised as usual but as he greedily downed the water, Alec realized how draining the spell must have been. "I supposed that since the demon feeds on misery and despair, strong positive feelings could counterbalance the effects of its powers."

Alec nodded. "It makes sense. Now wh--"

Magnus placed a finger over his lips. "Let me finish. Where was I? Oh yes, yes. I figured that positive feelings could keep the demon subdued until we could find a way to banish it. But what if they could kill it?” He paused and took a small sip.  “Once I made that connection, I paid a visit to a fellow warlock who specializes in emotional magic-a branch of magic tied to feelings, very hard to master- and he was able to locate a spell for me. It allows me to channel positive feelings into a weapon, namely the birds you saw, and upon further research we believe that with the right amount of power, it may prove effective in destroying the demon."

"So what, you just fling the birds at it?"

"It’s a bit more complicated than that,'' Magnus replied with a huffed laugh. “But that’s the principle, yes.”

"What are we waiting for? We should-"

"Hold your horses, Alexander," Magnus said, bringing up his hand to interrupt Alec before he could finish his next sentence. "I will need to practice the spell further. It took me a few hours to achieve an acceptable shade of color.  You see, the stronger the feeling, the darker the bird, the more effective weapon. And I'm not even talking about the quantity. We are going to need many more birds than that, I'm afraid."

"You need more warlocks," Akec said, understanding.

"Not necessarily warlocks," Magnus replied, seemingly lost in thought. "Cat and I should be able to produce the weapons necessary. But we cannot possibly create all the feelings needed by ourselves. We are going to need willing people to tap into. It has to be a team effort."

"How many?"

"Five, at the very least."

Alec made a mental count. He added himself and his siblings to the hypothetical list. Then Clary and the vampire. Maybe Luke and Maia. "I can think about six more people besides myself who could be willing to help us out." He listed everyone and Magnus nodded at every name.

"Cat and I will take care of the rest. I am even  willing to call in some favors if I have to."

Alec nodded, a weird restlessness taking a hold of him. Now that they were so close to banishing the demon, he could hardly wait another second. But Magnus was right. They needed to strategize if they wanted to win this battle. It was really going to be a team effort.

 

***

 

"Wonderful!" Magnus snapped his fingers and banished hundreds of the tiny birds currently flying all over the loft. "I think we're ready."

"Do you think they're enough to restrain and vanquish the demon?" Catarina asked, gesturing to the rest of the birds. They faded away as she lifted her own spell with a wave of her hand.

"They've got to be," Alec interjected before Magnus had a chance to reply. "We've waited too long. Three more mundanes are as good as dead."

Jace was the first to break the circle. "Alec is right. We can't sit back while it kills more people. We're honor bound to protect mundanes."

"I don't want to sound morbid but your honor is not going to do these mundanes any good if we're all dead. And are we sure the tweets are going to work?"

Alec rolled his eyes at Simon's dramatic contribution, bracing himself for the ensuing argument. They'd worked hard to prevent possible risks. They'd met several times to practice the ritual and he thought they were as ready as they were going to be. The last few times, they had managed to summon thousands of blue birds. _Tweets,_ as Simon kept calling them because they reminded him of some mundane website.

"Guys," Izzy's voice rang clear and loud in the room. The note of urgency in her voice had the voices dying down and Alec spin around to look at her. She held Alec’s phone in her hand and her face was grave. "We may not have a choice."

"Izzy, what is it?" Alec asked, dread roughening his voice.

"The Institute's wards have been breached. The Shadowhunters are under attack." She nodded at Alec. "Your head of security managed to reach the op center and send the alert. He's trying to gather as many people he can but they can't hold it off much longer. Not with its powers."

Alec  took the phone from Izzy, nodding sharply and turning around. "We’ve got to go."

"We need to go over a plan, Alexander," Magnus said, hand on Alec's forearm to keep him in place. "We can't rush into this."

"My Shadowhunters are in danger, Magnus. They’re being held hostage by that despicable demon." He knew Magnus was right but the thought of his people at the mercy of that demon made him sick to his stomach. "I've got to save them."

"We will save them, Alec." Magnus' hand slid from his forearm to his hand. "Together. Team effort, remember?"

Alec took a deep breath and nodded, gears already in motion. He turned to face the other people in the room. Grave faces stared back at him. "So, this is what we're gonna do."

 

***

 

Alec was the first to step through the portal. He spun around, relaxing only when he realized there was no threat in sight. He moved to the side as the others stepped through, Magnus closing the line and the portal behind his back.

They had decided to not separate. All of them were going to be necessary to defeat the demon and they couldn't afford any delay, not when his Shadowhunters' lives were on the line. They had agreed to try to attract the demon in the op center because it was the only place where they could corner it and the room was big enough to summon thousands of tweets.

"Remember," Catarina said. "Focus on positive thoughts, happy memories. It's going to require all of your concentration."

Magnus nodded. "We didn't have to fight against the demon's power then. It will be quite different from our practice sessions."

"Great," Simon muttered under his breath. "I don't do well under pressure."

Clary shook her head. "You totally do. Remember that time in third grade--"

"Guys," Alec said, putting an end to it. He waited until everyone was looking at him. "You heard what they said. Focus." He waited until everyone nodded and spun on his heels. "Let's go."

It turned out, they didn't need to lure the demon. It already was in the op center, towering over Underhill and a few other Shadowhunters, who were huddled together behind a screen.

Alec winced in sympathy. He would never forget the utter despair he’d felt when he was the one under attack. As it was, even from a distance and with its focus diverted from them, Freeform’s malignant power was starting to affect Alec.

Still, sympathy would have to wait. They had a small windows to act to keep the factor of surprise. If the evil creature noticed them, they’d be doomed.

They quietly created a line, holding the hand of the person next to them, and shifting until all seven of them formed a half circle, Magnus and Catarina at each end.

They’d practiced countless times for this moment but Alec couldn’t help but feel a small spark of unease in his gut. Failure would result not only in their doom. His Institute would be compromised. His Shadowhunters dead or worse, cancelled.

Warm fingers squeezed his hand just in time, snapping him out of his negative thoughts. He nodded to Magnus and did his best to focus on Magnus’ touch against his palm, on the feeling of his sister’s smaller hand over his own.

Alec didn’t dare to close his eyes. He kept them fully trained on the beast’s back as he cleared his mind like Magnus and Catarina had taught him. When his mind was empty enough, he tried to fill it with his happier memories.

  
_The first time he laid his eyes on Izzy. Her tiny legs kicking in a small, uncoordinated motion as she screamed her lungs off. Alec was sure he was supposed to find it annoying but she was so tiny and cute and precious that he almost cried. As tiny fingers closed around his pinky, Alec could feel himself filling up with love for her._

  
He felt Magnus’ magic, warm and tickling against his palm, running through his body to connect with Izzy.

 

_The pride in his parents’ eyes as he earned his first rune._

 

Catarina’s magic joined Magnus’ after a few seconds, coming through Izzy’s hand, the tingle of it less familiar but not hostile or unpleasant.

Magic birds started to fill the space above their heads. One, ten, hundreds. The demon stopped advancing toward the Shadowhunters and started to turn, almost in slow motion.

Alec was sure he could sense the magic in the air. He tried to focus harder.

 

_The feeling of freedom as he nocked and shot his arrows, sure and confident, knowing it was something he was good at. Something nobody could take from him._

 

The demon turned fully around but the magic birds were already on it, attacking, pecking, channeling all of their happiest memories and using them like a weapon.

The creature let out a blood-curdling scream that had Alec’s hair stand on end on the back of his neck.

 

_Sparring with Jace. The witty, easy banter. Finding a brother. The parabatai ceremony._

 

The demon started to fade, pieces of its hood crumbled, dissolving in fine dust as soon as they landed on the floor. When the last piece fell, the demon started to vibrate.

Alec watched in horrified fascination as it shifted and split itself until four smaller demons took its place.  

The birds started to hover in place, confused by the lack of a clear target.

"Magnus," Alec rasped out. "What the hell?"

Magnus' voice was harsh, strained with the effort of keeping up the spell. "Your guess is as good as mine. Keep up the focus and don't break the circle."

"I believe," Catarina said, gasping as one of the bigger demons moved forward and a few of the magical birds vanished with an ominous pop. She waved her hand and some of her birds  created a barrier between the demons and themselves, protecting them from their influence. "That's the reason our 'demon' lasted so long within this realm. It's unusual but not unheard of. Sometimes, dying Freeform demons can form this kind of alliance, fusing together to feed off each other life force in an almost endless circle."

"Of course, " Magnus said, directing a few of his own birds to strengthen the barrier, giving them some time to regroup. A wave of his hand and several more circled around the demons, keeping them away from the Shadowhunters on the other side. "How could I forget? Your book said they weave their essences together, like a web, was it?"

"Network is the word you are looking for," Catarina answered. "We have to tweak the spell, Magnus."

Magnus nodded, looking lost in thought.

"Are you kidding me?" Jace said, sounding horrified.

"Are you telling me Freeform is a _network of demons_?" Simon asked at the same time.

"Guys," Izzy interjected, jerking her chin toward the demons. "Maybe this isn't such a bad thing."

Alec's gaze followed Izzy's direction and one glance was enough to get what she was trying to say. "They're weaker like this."

"Can your magic birds attack them at once?" Clary asked.

"Kids," Catarina's voice cut through their chatter. "We can't waste time. We must act before they realize the mistake they've made and join forces again."

Magnus nodded and squeezed Alec's hand. "I'll take the two demons on the right."

"Ready?" Catarina asked as she started to shift her tweets toward the left. "Let's concentrate again."

Alec closed briefly his eyes at the feeling of the magic flowing harder through his body, ready to weaponize his happy moments.

And if happiness was what it took, he'd give the demons happiness. So much happiness they would choke on it.

He brought forth Magnus' face in his mind and focused.

 

_Their first kiss. The hope cutting through the hopelessness. Knowing he owned his own life now. Magnus' lips firm and warm against his own. The heat of the kiss and the fire in his chest._

 

The birds stopped mid-air before zooming in all directions, finding their targets and attacking  with renewed strength.

 

_Their first time. The laughter and the fumbling. Their bodies slotting together like they were made to fit. The heat and the friction and the pleasure. Cuddling in the afterglow._

 

More birds started to materialize in the room, fueled by magic and their happy thoughts. A soon as they became corporeal, they joined the other ones in attacking the demons.

 

_“I love you, Alexander.” and the way Alec’s heart felt so full he was sure it was going to burst. The way-_

Alec’s thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched scream. He saw one of the demons turning translucent at the edges before it burst into dust and ichor.

 

The remaining demons let out shrill noises of distress and tried to get close to each other, no doubt to form a network again, but the birds were everywhere now.  Flocks and flocks of them, attacking without mercy, keeping them separated under Magnus and Catarina’s direction.

Alec was sure the demons wouldn’t last long under that kind of assault but he also didn’t know if they could keep up that kind of concentration much longer.

"Focus harder," he shouted to be heard over the noises. "We almost got them."

Izzy squeezed his hand in silent assent and Alec hoped the others would try their best.

He allowed himself to close his eyes as he tried to bring go mind more happy thoughts.

 

_"I'm gonna ask Magnus to marry me."_

_The happiness on his mother's face and the coil of tension inside of him unfurling slowly as he realized she was genuinely happy for him. Accepting._

_The third drawer of his desk_ . _The one he’d been keeping under lock for the last few weeks._

_The box within and what it meant._

 

Chaos erupted in the room as one after the other, the demons burst into dust, leaving behind only a fine trail of dirt  and a whole lot of ichor.

The birds froze in mid-air and started to fade as their concentration began to wane.

Izzy was the first one to let go and slowly all of them followed.  When the circle was broken, the birds disappeared.

"We did it!" Simon said, a hint of surprise and wonder in his voice.

There were laughters and cheers.  The sound of hands patting backs and a chorus of _we did it_  and of _Freeform is dead_.

Alec squeezed Magnus’ hand and let go, needing to make sure his Shadowhunters were in one piece.

After a brief talk with Underhill, who informed him that Blackwell had been injured but- _thank the Angel-_ there hadn’t been any casualties, he headed back to the group.

He was tempted to just say _screw it_ and fill in the reports in the morning but Magnus and Catarina were talking about going to work on notes, their faces weary but excited about the magical implications of the ritual. Alec sighed and figured he might as well stay back and deal with the paperwork.

 

***

 

It was about four hours later that he finally slipped through the door of the loft, bone-tired and in need of a shower.

The small box inside of his pocket seemed to weight like lead. Once he'd finished his reports, he'd taken it out of the drawer and he'd spent a ridiculous amount of time staring at it, as if it held all the answers he was looking for.

He'd been gathering his nerves, waiting for the right moment. The close call with the demon had made him realize he was going to have to create the right moment because time wasn't kind and you never knew how much of it you had left.

That didn't mean Alec wasn't going to treat Magnus to a nice dinner. Maybe flowers.

So he'd booked the next day off and brought the ring home.

"Those were some long reports."  Magnus' voice startled him as he was hanging his jacket on the hook, almost making him drop it. "I do hope there was no complication."

"You can say it," Alec replied, turning around to face Magnus, who was sitting on the couch, a glass held loosely in his hand. "Not really complications but I had to take statements, fill several reports and make sure everything was in order. How about your research?"

Magnus smiled and patted the space next to himself, his smile widening as Alec took his seat next to him. He gestured to the glass in a silent offer but Alec shook his head.

"We noted everything down and we will reconvene in a few days. If there is a way we can prevent these demons from crossing over next Halloween, we will find it." Magnus took a sip from his glass. "The Freeform demons wouldn't hurt people ever again."

"Thank you. Let me know how I can help," Alec answered, knowing he'd rest easier if they found a way to keep these demons in the hell they belonged. "And thank you for tonight. We couldn't have done it without you and Catarina."

"Don't even mention it," Magnus said, brushing Alec's thanks away with a casual wave of his hand. "Innocent lives were at stake. What matters is that they won't hurt anybody else and that your Shadowhunters are safe."

"We saved them," Alec agreed.

"We did indeed." Magnus downed the rest of his whisky and stood, extending his hand to Alec. "But now I believe we're in need of some rest."

"Yeah, about that," Alec said, taking Magnus' hand and standing. "I've taken tomorrow off so I was hoping we could sleep in and then do something nice."

"Who are you and what have you done with my Alexander?" Magnus asked, surprise clear in his voice. "You know him. Tall, handsome, going to work even when he is unwell."

Alec let out an amused huff. "Well yeah. I thought saving the Institute and the Shadowhunters from the clutches of evil Freeform demons, was enough to warrant me a day off."

"Indeed." There was amusement in Magnus' eyes. His lips stretched into a pleased smile. "And we will make the most of it. Maybe we can even get the chance to try out those handcuffs. What do you say, _detective Lightwood_?"

Alec's laugh got stuck in his throat at the mental image but he took it in stride. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. Bane."

The sound of Magnus' laugh sent warmth through Alec's chest.

He was going to marry the man he loved. The evil network of demons had been destroyed and his Shadowhunters were safe.

 

Everything was okay in the Shadow World.

**Author's Note:**

> I've probably spent too much time and effort on this silly thing. 
> 
> In case you were wondering, yes, I took the liberty to take inspiration from Dementors. :)
> 
> If you made it to the end, thank you for reading! :)


End file.
